Vietnam Considers Wolbachia Mosquitoes for Disease Control

A US company is planning to release a large number of male mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacteria in Washington D.C.'s urban areas this summer, aiming to control mosquito populations and combat disease transmission. Bee Safe Mosquito Control, based in Maryland, will release male mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia around Washington D.C. The company expects these male mosquitoes to mate with female mosquitoes that do not carry the bacteria, rendering them infertile and leading to a gradual reduction in the mosquito population over time. Similar programs have been implemented in several countries to curb mosquito-borne diseases. Wolbachia is a group of bacteria commonly found in a majority of insects, including mosquitoes. The bacteria have a complex relationship with their hosts. In some insects like mosquitoes, Wolbachia can affect reproduction through a phenomenon called cytoplasmic incompatibility. Wolbachia alters both the sperm and eggs of infected mosquitoes. When a male mosquito infected with Wolbachia mates with a female mosquito that is not infected or carries a different strain of the bacteria, the altered sperm damages the eggs shortly after fertilization, preventing them from hatching. Scientists are leveraging this incompatibility as a form of biological pesticide. They introduce a specific Wolbachia strain (different from those found in nature) into male mosquitoes raised in laboratories and then release large numbers into the wild. Since female mosquitoes mate only once, those that have paired with laboratory-reared males will never produce viable offspring. Countries such as Brazil, Singapore, and Thailand have already piloted or permitted the use of Wolbachia-infected male mosquitoes to reduce mosquito numbers. In late 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the widespread application of this technique in the US, utilizing genetically modified Aedes albopictus mosquitoes called ZAP males, developed by MosquitoMate, a commercial company founded by a research team from the University of Kentucky. These are the same mosquitoes Bee Safe plans to deploy this summer. According to Independent, Bee Safe plans to release a total of approximately 600,000 ZAP male mosquitoes in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area from June to September. Aedes albopictus, also known as the Asian tiger mosquito, can transmit diseases like dengue fever, Zika virus, and chikungunya. However, Aedes albopictus is considered less dangerous than Aedes aegypti, which primarily feeds on humans. Earlier in June, The Guardian reported that Google is seeking approval from the US government to release 32 million sterile male mosquitoes in California and Florida. As part of its "Debug" program, Google is using its technological advantage to deploy an army of sterile mosquitoes to reduce the population of disease-carrying insects. The EPA is reviewing Google's request to release 16 million mosquitoes annually in the two states over two years. Unlike Bee Safe, Google is focusing on male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carrying Wolbachia. While the effectiveness of mosquito-killing mosquito technology requires time for evaluation, if successful, it could provide a more environmentally friendly weapon in the fight against these dangerous disease-transmitting insects. Information Source: VnExpress